over the course of cinematic history. Although there was a time in which space travel, artificial intelligence, and communication through small devices would have been considered to be a work of sci-fi, these are now aspects of everyday reality. That being said, the sci-fi films that tend to stand the test of time tell compelling stories that are always relevant, regardless of how predictive they actually ended up being.

, as there are many excellent films that crossover with drama, comedy, fantasy, suspense, romance, and horror. The fact that there is so much that can be considered “science fiction” indicates why it has such a robust fanbase. Here are ten sci-fi movies that can be called masterpieces, ranked.

that is told from the perspective of a seductive alien, played in an outstanding performance by in one of the greatest roles of her entire career. Although the disturbing elements of highly grotesque carnage and body horror may have viewers that are light of stomach turning away, Under the Skin makes the fascinating decision to make observations about the way in which humans interact with each other by showing how strange it seems to an outsider.

all the different metaphors and hidden meanings that is hinting at, but the film is so brilliantly made, beautifully scored, and hauntingly visualized that to view it on repeat is certainly not a burden in the slightest.

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, as it essentially took the suspenseful horror of and inserted it into outer space, making for one of the most confined and terrifying experiences possible in a movie theater. Although there have been countless innovations that have been made since in the realm of computer generated imagery, the practical effects used to create the Xenomorph in the original still look better than a majority of the blockbusters that are released today.

, as ’s performance as Ellen Ripley proved to be an inspirational character that laid the groundwork for other female sci-fi protagonists to emerge in the subsequent decades. Although many would argue that is the more action-packed and emotional installment in the franchise, it is hard to argue with the transcendent legacy of Alien.

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, which is no small statement considering that from 1984 was a brilliant mixture of action, suspense, and sci-fi. However, outdid himself with this epic sequel that allowed ’s T-1000 to become a hero tasked with protecting Sarah () and John Connor ().

, as it allowed Cameron to expand his visual achievements thanks to the use of CGI. It was not a task that would prove to be easy to replicate, as all the subsequent installments in The Terminator franchise that were made without Cameron directly involved as a writer and director have felt flat and uninspired in comparison to the mastery of Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

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, as it managed to transform the Cold War paranoia of ’s 1956 film into the anxiety that many Americans felt in the midst of the 1970s, in which the aftermath of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal had made many citizens terrified about the insidious conspiracies that their government could be planning.

, as it gradually builds up to shocking moments in which human beings are assimilated. Gore in of itself does not make something scary, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers proves this to be true thanks to one of the most terrifying final shots of all-time, which features an amazing performance from the late great

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, as the managed to tell a classical story about a prophesied hero that also tied into the existential fears about artificial intelligence taking over the human race. The strength of vision on command in is extraordinary, as the film was able to explore some very intricate philosophical concepts without ever feeling dull or expositional.

, as the “bullet time” method of using slow motion effects had been widely influential on the next generation of filmmakers. Although directors like and have all tried to replicate this style, they don’t have the audacity and creative genius of the Wachowskis that made The Matrix such a groundbreaking and transcendent masterpiece.

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, as is one of the few directors who is entirely responsible for creating and continuing an epic franchise. Although the original was an instant cult classic that showed how the world could descend into a post-apocalyptic nightmare, ramped up the action to craft one of the most relentless films ever made, which paid many tributes to the influence of many iconic westerns.

that are made all the more impactful because Miller insisted on doing them for real. Some may argue that is the best installment in the franchise, but Miller’s second film was the film that laid the groundwork for all future successes.

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, as it is not based on action, horror, or really any suspense. Instead, Spielberg made a deeply observational film about how humanity would respond to the emergence of a spacecraft from another world, and showed the impact that it had on just one family that was going through a tumultuous period.

, and showed that there was a unique mix of tactility and spirituality that made Spielberg’s film so engaging. Although the controversial changes that Spielberg made to the special edition re-release of the film have been divisive, any version of Close Encounters of the Third Kind features visual splendor and an all-time great score by

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as captured an entirely original universe that drew from westerns, samurai films, Greek mythology, and classic serials like and . It would be an understatement to say that it features great worldbuilding, as many of the creatures, locations, and themes of the franchise are etched in the memories of moviegoers everywhere.

, as Lucas set up Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker on an exciting coming-of-age story that many audiences could relate to, as they had all gazed into the sky at night looking for a more adventurous future. It would be hard to find another film in history that is just as quotable.

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Blade Runner was a brilliant new take on the neo-noir genre that transformed Los Angeles into a gruelling, brutal city of the future that had been overrun by technology. Although it drew from classic hardboiled detective stories that had been popular in the 1940s, Blade Runner also crafted a brilliant examination of human nature that continues to draw debate over whether or not Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is actually intended to be a replicant.

Despite the fact that it was overshadowed at the box office by E.T. The Extra Terrestrial and has actually been considered to be a financial bomb, Blade Runner has been deeply influential on the development of the cyberpunk genre. Denis Villenueve crafted an equally brilliant sequel in 2017 with the masterpiece Blade Runner 2049, but it would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the incredible leaps forward in storytelling that Ridley Scott made with the original classic.

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2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the greatest films ever made and perhaps the crowning achievement of Stanley Kubrick’s amazing career, which already included more than a few all-time great masterpieces. Although the incredible visual effects used to show what space travel looked like (released a year before the actual Apollo 11 moon landing) were highly influential, 2001: A Space Odyssey continues to amass an impressive legacy based on the existential questions that it asks.

2001: A Space Odyssey managed to surmise the entire extent of the human race, whilst also asking what it would be like for someone to meet their creator. It’s rare that any film is able to start such engaging conversations after its release, and the fact that 2001: A Space Odyssey continues to be a subject of debate among cinephiles is evidence of how ahead of its time it really was.

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